Völkerkunde

Völkerkunde was a discipline within European anthropology, particularly in German-speaking countries, that focused on the study of non-European peoples. This field was historically linked to European global expansion and colonialism. It dealt with "peoples" in the plural, examining their cultures and traditions.1

In contrast, Volkskunde (often translated as "European ethnology") concentrated on the cultural traditions of a nation's own people, particularly rural populations, and was sometimes connected to 19th-century Romantic nationalism. While these terms are less common today, the distinction highlights historical divisions within anthropology regarding the study of different groups.1

By the 21st century, these disciplines evolved, with a greater emphasis on studying everyday life and a weakening of the strict focus on non-European societies in some areas. Anthropology as a whole now encompasses a broader range of studies, including cultural anthropology, which examines culture in all its aspects.123